Phytonutrient and Nutraceutical Action Against COVID-19: Current Review of Characteristics and Benefits

Overview

Journal Nutrients

Date 2021 Feb 12

PMID 33573173

Citations 12

Authors

Nitida Pastor

Maria Carmen Collado

Paolo Manzoni

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The trend toward using phytonutrients and/or nutraceuticals (P/Ns) with the aim of impacting immune health has increased in recent years. The main reason is that properties of P/Ns are associated with possible immunomodulating effects in the prevention and complementary treatment of viral diseases, including COVID-19 and other respiratory infections. In the present review, we assess the scientific plausibility of specific P/Ns for this purpose of preventative and therapeutic interventions against COVID-19, with an emphasis on safety, validity, and evidence of efficacy against other viruses. Five potential candidates have been identified after reviewing available studies (in silico, in vitro, and in vivo) in which certain flavonoids have demonstrated a potential for use as adjuvant therapeutic agents against viral infections, including COVID-19. As these are often better tolerated than pharmacological treatments, their use could be more widely considered if additional detailed studies can validate the existing evidence.

Citing Articles

Natural compounds may contribute in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection: a narrative review.

Bizzoca M, Leuci S, Mignogna M, Lo Muzio E, Caponio V, Lo Muzio L Food Sci Hum Wellness. 2024; 11(5):1134-1142.

PMID: 38621001 PMC: 9160299. DOI: 10.1016/j.fshw.2022.04.005.

In Silico Screening of Natural Flavonoids against 3-Chymotrypsin-like Protease of SARS-CoV-2 Using Machine Learning and Molecular Modeling.

Cai L, Han F, Ji B, He X, Wang L, Niu T Molecules. 2023; 28(24).

PMID: 38138524 PMC: 10745665. DOI: 10.3390/molecules28248034.

The association of dietary approach to stop hypertension (DASH) diet with hospitalization risk in patients with COVID-19.

Zamanian A, Yari Z, Soltanieh S, Salavatizadeh M, Karimi S, Ardestani S Clin Nutr Open Sci. 2023; 48:55-63.

PMID: 36922984 PMC: 9985538. DOI: 10.1016/j.nutos.2023.02.001.

Diversity of (L.) Schrad Seeds Extracts: Detailed Chemical Profiling and Evaluation of Their Medicinal Properties.

Khan M, Khan M, Al-Hamoud K, Adil S, Rafi Shaik M, Alkhathlan H Plants (Basel). 2023; 12(3).

PMID: 36771651 PMC: 9919198. DOI: 10.3390/plants12030567.

Are Nutraceuticals Effective in COVID-19 and Post-COVID Prevention and Treatment?.

Catalano A, Iacopetta D, Ceramella J, De Maio A, Basile G, Giuzio F Foods. 2022; 11(18).

PMID: 36141012 PMC: 9498392. DOI: 10.3390/foods11182884.

References

Denaro M, Smeriglio A, Barreca D, De Francesco C, Occhiuto C, Milano G . Antiviral activity of plants and their isolated bioactive compounds: An update. Phytother Res. 2019; 34(4):742-768. DOI: 10.1002/ptr.6575. View

Zhang Y, Jiang X, Peng K, Chen C, Fu L, Wang Z . Discovery and evaluation of novel anti-inflammatory derivatives of natural bioactive curcumin. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2014; 8:2161-71. PMC: 4226458. DOI: 10.2147/DDDT.S69914. View

Alschuler L, Weil A, Horwitz R, Stamets P, Chiasson A, Crocker R . Integrative considerations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Explore (NY). 2020; 16(6):354-356. PMC: 7270871. DOI: 10.1016/j.explore.2020.03.007. View

Luo E, Zhang D, Luo H, Liu B, Zhao K, Zhao Y . Treatment efficacy analysis of traditional Chinese medicine for novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19): an empirical study from Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Chin Med. 2020; 15:34. PMC: 7156896. DOI: 10.1186/s13020-020-00317-x. View

Tallei T, Tumilaar S, Niode N, Fatimawali , Johnson Kepel B, Idroes R . Potential of Plant Bioactive Compounds as SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease (M) and Spike (S) Glycoprotein Inhibitors: A Molecular Docking Study. Scientifica (Cairo). 2021; 2020:6307457. PMC: 7773461. DOI: 10.1155/2020/6307457. View

Li Y, Yao J, Han C, Yang J, Chaudhry M, Wang S . Quercetin, Inflammation and Immunity. Nutrients. 2016; 8(3):167. PMC: 4808895. DOI: 10.3390/nu8030167. View

Frank J, Fukagawa N, Bilia A, Johnson E, Kwon O, Prakash V . Terms and nomenclature used for plant-derived components in nutrition and related research: efforts toward harmonization. Nutr Rev. 2019; 78(6):451-458. PMC: 7212822. DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuz081. View

Tozser J, Benko S . Natural Compounds as Regulators of NLRP3 Inflammasome-Mediated IL-1 Production. Mediators Inflamm. 2016; 2016:5460302. PMC: 5031844. DOI: 10.1155/2016/5460302. View

Heinz S, Henson D, Nieman D, Austin M, Jin F . A 12-week supplementation with quercetin does not affect natural killer cell activity, granulocyte oxidative burst activity or granulocyte phagocytosis in female human subjects. Br J Nutr. 2010; 104(6):849-57. DOI: 10.1017/S000711451000156X. View

10.

Runfeng L, Yunlong H, Jicheng H, Weiqi P, Qinhai M, Yongxia S . Lianhuaqingwen exerts anti-viral and anti-inflammatory activity against novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Pharmacol Res. 2020; 156:104761. PMC: 7102548. DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2020.104761. View

11.

Zhang M, Sandouk A, Houtman J . Glycerol Monolaurate (GML) inhibits human T cell signaling and function by disrupting lipid dynamics. Sci Rep. 2016; 6:30225. PMC: 4960522. DOI: 10.1038/srep30225. View

12.

Shin H, See H, Jung S, Choi D, Kwon D, Bae M . Turmeric (Curcuma longa) attenuates food allergy symptoms by regulating type 1/type 2 helper T cells (Th1/Th2) balance in a mouse model of food allergy. J Ethnopharmacol. 2015; 175:21-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2015.08.038. View

13.

Chan K, Taam Wong V, Tang S . COVID-19: An Update on the Epidemiological, Clinical, Preventive and Therapeutic Evidence and Guidelines of Integrative Chinese-Western Medicine for the Management of 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease. Am J Chin Med. 2020; 48(3):737-762. DOI: 10.1142/S0192415X20500378. View

14.

Salehi B, Venditti A, Sharifi-Rad M, Kregiel D, Sharifi-Rad J, Durazzo A . The Therapeutic Potential of Apigenin. Int J Mol Sci. 2019; 20(6). PMC: 6472148. DOI: 10.3390/ijms20061305. View

15.

Sui H, Yu Q, Zhi Y, Geng G, Liu H, Xu H . [Effects of apigenin on the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 in kidney in spontaneously hypertensive rats]. Wei Sheng Yan Jiu. 2011; 39(6):693-6, 700. View

16.

Stewart L, Soileau J, Ribnicky D, Wang Z, Raskin I, Poulev A . Quercetin transiently increases energy expenditure but persistently decreases circulating markers of inflammation in C57BL/6J mice fed a high-fat diet. Metabolism. 2008; 57(7 Suppl 1):S39-46. PMC: 2596873. DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2008.03.003. View

17.

Adem S, Eyupoglu V, Ibrahim I, Sarfraz I, Rasul A, Ali M . Multidimensional in silico strategy for identification of natural polyphenols-based SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M) inhibitors to unveil a hope against COVID-19. Comput Biol Med. 2022; 145:105452. PMC: 8957318. DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2022.105452. View

18.

Gonzalez-Gallego J, Culebras J, Tunon M . [Flavonoids: properties and anti-oxidizing action]. Nutr Hosp. 2003; 17(6):271-8. View

19.

Joshi S, Kaushik V, Gode V, Mhaskar S . Coconut Oil and Immunity: What do we really know about it so far?. J Assoc Physicians India. 2020; 68(7):67-72. View

20.

Praditya D, Kirchhoff L, Bruning J, Rachmawati H, Steinmann J, Steinmann E . Anti-infective Properties of the Golden Spice Curcumin. Front Microbiol. 2019; 10:912. PMC: 6509173. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00912. View